SEAL BEACH — The adult female sea lion lay thrashing, half-covered in mud, in a marsh Wednesday at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.
A ranger from the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge spotted her and called the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, describing the sea lion’s odd behavior.
It was a sadly familiar scene for members of the center’s animal care staff who arrived at the scene. In recent days, rescue teams have been racing to similar calls from San Onofre State Beach to Seal Beach. Each of the sea lions exhibited symptoms of domoic acid poisoning, caused by eating sardines and anchovies that have fed on toxic algae blooms.